


What's in a Name?

by theguineapig3



Category: Tales of Symphonia
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-03
Updated: 2019-09-03
Packaged: 2020-10-06 16:49:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,661
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20510291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theguineapig3/pseuds/theguineapig3
Summary: A series of one-shots written for Colloyd Week 2019: Lloyd and Colette discuss names, go sailing, and cause a misunderstanding over a litter of puppies.





	1. What's in a Name?

**“What’s in a Name?”  
Day 1: Promises**

**Genre**: hurt/comfort  
**Words**: 945

_A simple question from Lloyd reminds Colette of a lesson she learned long ago- one that's now more important to her than ever._

* * *

“Bye, Skipper! Bye, Reynaldo! Bye, Hoppy!”

The little posse of stray dogs that lived near the country inn where Colette and her friends had stayed the night before seemed sad to see her go. She’d found a ball and spent the night playing with the dogs, feeding them treats that she’d saved up, and brushing out their matted fur with her own hairbrush. Raine had scolded her for that last one, giving her a thorough lesson about flea and tick-borne illnesses, but it was clear that Colette didn’t regret a thing. The next morning when the group departed, Colette cheerfully bade the dogs farewell, and Lloyd watched in curiosity.

“Colette?” Lloyd finally asked once they were back on the road. “I don’t mean to be rude, I’m just genuinely curious… why do you name dogs?”

Genis was up ahead, discussing the map with Raine and Kratos, so it was just Lloyd and Colette straying behind. Colette looked up at Lloyd in surprise, and her expression changed slowly to confusion.

“…what do you mean?”

“Well, I mean-” Lloyd shrugged his shoulders. “-like, every time we see a dog, you give it a name. It’s not bad or anything; it’s actually kinda cute…” He blushed a little as he said that and glanced away as if trying to hide it. “…it just struck me as odd. I mean, after you regenerate the world, you won’t have a reason to go back to a little inn like that, right? You might not ever see those dogs again. Why give them names? S-sorry if this seems like a stupid question, but-”

“No.” Colette cut him off, shaking her head. “It’s not a stupid question. Not at all. Actually… I asked that same question a long time ago.”

* * *

_“Daddy, look! Look what I found!”_

_Colette came running, nearly tripping over her own feet, into the house. Frank was in the kitchen preparing dinner, but he stopped and turned to see what his daughter was so excited to show off._

_“Oh? What is it?”_

_Colette approached her father, holding up her hands to show him the little pink object that was twitching in her grasp. He knelt down next to her to get a better look._

_“A baby bird?” Frank asked, reaching to adjust Colette’s hands so that she wasn’t squeezing it. “Where did you find this?”_

_“Its nest got knocked over in the storm last night,” Colette replied. “That mean old tomcat had it in his mouth, but I rescued it.”_

_“I… see.” Frank nodded. The baby bird was clearly struggling to breathe and was bleeding onto Colette’s hands, but a five-year-old girl had no concept of what that meant. “Let’s take it away from the kitchen- we can try to bandage its wounds upstairs, alright? Just give me a minute to turn the stove off.”_

_Frank stood up again, rushing back over to the pot before it boiled over. Colette watched, turning her attention back and forth between her father and the bird, but she paused as Frank gave another instruction._

_“In the meantime, why don’t you think of a good name for it?”_

_So she did._

_And the next morning, Colette and Frank buried “Poppy’s” lifeless body in the little grove of trees behind the house._

_“It’s alright, Colette,” Frank murmured, holding his sobbing daughter in his arms. “There was nothing you could have done. Poppy’s injuries were just too serious.”_

_Colette clutched Frank’s shirt, digging her fingers into the fabric as she pushed away. “I-if you… you… you knew she was gonna die, then why… why’d you make me name her?”_

_Frank fell silent, considering the question- or, rather, how to answer it. He smiled sadly, brushing a few strands of hair out of her face and wiping the tears off her cheeks. “Colette, if you hadn’t given Poppy a name, do you think you would remember her a month from now? A year from now?”_

_That question confused Colette. “Remember?”_

_“A name is a promise. Having a name to call someone means that person will always be in your heart. Even if your time together is short, _especially_ if your time together is short, calling someone or something by a name is a promise to them that you won’t forget them. That’s why-” Frank stopped, swallowing back a little emotion himself. “-why I call you by your name, Colette.”_

_Colette began to sob again. “B-but it’s so much sadder when you hafta say goodbye!”_

_“It is, Colette. It is.” Frank pulled her in close, squeezing her in a tight hug. “But it also means you never really_ have_ to say goodbye.”_

_“Never have to say goodbye, huh…?”_

* * *

“-and so he said, no matter how short your time is together, a name means you’ll never truly have to say goodbye. So that’s why I give the dogs names- so I can remember all of them, even when I become an angel.”

Lloyd stared for a moment, and Colette was worried that he might laugh or make fun of her. But he finally broke into a big smile.

“That’s so cool! It’s like, if you have a name to call them, they’ll be with you forever!”

Colette beamed. “Yes, exactly!” She leaned in and wrapped her arms around one of his. “That goes for you too, Lloyd.”

That statement caught him off-guard.

“Wh-wha-?” Lloyd blushed again but kept his eyes on Colette this time. “You don’t have to worry about that. I already told you, even if you become an angel, we’ll always be together. Right?”

Colette hoped he couldn’t feel the way her grip tightened as he said that.

“…you’re right. We’ll always be together…_ Lloyd_.” 


	2. Going Overboard

**“Going Overboard”  
Day 2: Traveling**

**Genre:** fluff, humor  
**Words:** 1383

_Lloyd was so full of excitement to show off his new boat to Colette, there wasn’t much room left to worry about boating safety. Colette could always find a creative way to get hurt even in the most mundane of situations- but it was easier when Lloyd showed her how it was done._

_(Obligatory disclaimer: Boating safety is not a joke, boom accidents can be fatal, etcetera, etcetera, don’t try this at home. Thanks)_

* * *

Despite the sunshine and warm weather, the ocean was choppy and the wind whipped up whitecaps as it gusted over the waves. Lloyd made sure not to sail out too far, not wanting to get caught up in the breaking waves outside the bay. However, the somewhat wild ride seemed to add to Colette’s enthusiasm, and Lloyd had to scold her for leaning over the edge of the boat.

“H-hey, be careful, there! If the boat pitches to that side, you’re gonna get thrown off!”

Colette just laughed, turning to offer him a smile. “It’s alright. I like feeling the spray on my face. Plus I trust your sailing skills.”

She really shouldn’t. Lloyd had trusted his own sailing skills until he went to the sailing class that Raine had insisted on him taking, and he suddenly realized that there was so much he didn’t know. Even the little sailboat he’d commandeered for his exsphere journey wasn’t as easy to sail as he’d expected it to be. There was so much to keep track of between the sails and the rigging and understanding your position relative to the land without getting distracted and losing your bearings… and he had found a new, _very lovely_ distraction to worry about.

Lloyd had been preparing to show off his new boat to Colette for a while now, practicing his sailing so that he could give her a smooth ride- and, more importantly, so that he’d look cool while doing it. But now that she was actually here, that the two of them were out on the water alone with one another, he found himself uncharacteristically flustered. He felt as clumsy as, well… Colette.

Oh, this was a bad combination.

“Hey, uh, the wind’s dying down a little. This would be a good time for me to show off the rigging if you want to see it.”

Colette perked up and slid back over into the interior of the boat. “You mean these ropes? I was wondering what all of them did.”

Lloyd nodded. “It’s to help control the sails. Here- let me show you.”

He sat down next to her and began going over the different parts of the sails, just as he’d learned it in his class. It was fun being the teacher for once, and Colette was just as eager to learn as he’d been.

“-and this is called the boom,” he said, putting his hand up against the large, horizontal pole in the center, “because if you’re not careful, that’s the sound that it makes when it hits you and knocks you overboard.”

It took a moment for the statement to process, but Colette burst out laughing. “Oh, Lloyd, that’s so funny!”

“Yeah, I actually… heard that one in class.” Lloyd blushed and looked away. “But seriously, though, this is what lets us turn the sail to catch the wind when we need it and not when we don’t. It’s pretty handy if you know how to use it. You want to try?”

Colette beamed. “Sure!”

Lloyd showed her the ropes- quite literally- always hoping she didn’t notice the way he froze a little when their hands brushed together. Eventually, their conversation turned from parts of the ship and rigging into more about their journey, places they wanted to see and things they wanted to do. They joked and laughed and had such genuine fun that by the time they settled into the middle of the boat again, Lloyd had forgotten that he’d ever been nervous.

He’d also forgotten to secure the preventer line to the boom again.

“-so then Noishe comes waltzing out of the woods again like nothing even happened! Can you believe that? After everything Dad and I did!”

Colette had been giggling throughout the story, more at the way Lloyd told it than the circumstances of the tale. “I’m glad to hear that Noishe is getting braver, though,” she said once she was sure Lloyd was finished. “It used to be, he’d never go into the forest like that.”

“Right?” Lloyd nodded. “And he’s also nev-”

_WHAM_

A gust of wind caught the sail and sent the boom swinging back across the middle of the boat. It hit Lloyd squarely in the middle of the forehead, and he collapsed backward.

“Owww…”

“Oh, Lloyd!” Colette lunged forward and grabbed his hands to help him sit up again. “That was loud! Are you okay?”

“Y…yeah…” Lloyd rubbed his forehead where a large red mark was already beginning to form. “It didn’t hit me that hard, it was just heavy. I should’ve been paying more attention.”

Colette sighed. “I’m sorry. Talking to me was distracting you.”

“Wha-? N-no, that’s not… I mean, it’s not your fault! I was just…”

Lloyd’s voice trailed off, and Colette giggled at the way his cheeks were starting to turn red too. She leaned in before he could say anything else and placed a gentle kiss on his forehead.

The gesture left Lloyd stunned. “C-C-C-Colette…”

“Oh! I’m sorry!” She covered her mouth. “I thought that might make it feel better. Should I not have?”

“No! I mean, uh, that’s a no, you should have. I mean-” Lloyd put a hand up against his forehead again. “-it still hurts, but… I’m too happy to care.”

“Happy? It’s not weird?”

Lloyd stiffened. “Weird? Why would it be weird-?” He stopped himself just as the question left his mouth. Had she been as nervous as he was this whole time? “I mean, _no_, it’s not weird. I was kinda nervous this morning myself, thinking about wanting to impress you and stuff, but now… well, it’s been so much fun just being out here together, I forgot all about trying to look good or act cool or whatever. It’s just nice to be with you.”

Colette beamed, her smile breaking through the haze of Lloyd’s headache. “I feel the same way! Being out here with you like this, it makes me excited to think of all the time we’ll have together on our journey.”

That’s right. That was what this outing was all about, giving Colette a taste of what life sailing around the world would be like. Cramped quarters and worries about sailing and boat maintenance, but also a closeness that they couldn’t get anywhere else and daily activities that would challenge them and build their cooperative skills. Thinking too hard about it all felt strange, but actually behind here felt natural.

It felt _right_.

Colette stood up, holding her hands out to balance herself as the boat rocked back and forth. “I think the wind is picking up again. Do you want to sail out further? It was so much fun when we were moving fast and-”

“_Look out!_”

Lloyd ducked just in time as he noticed a gust of wind catch the sail again. However, it became clear that Colette hadn’t gotten the warning fast enough as Lloyd heard a yelp and then a loud splash.

“_COLETTE!_”

Once Colette was safely back on deck and the boom was secured again, Lloyd provided her with some of the towels he’d brought with them just in case of such an occasion. She gratefully accepted one, throwing it over her head and drying her hair.

“I guess our first lesson should be securing the preventer line,” Lloyd sighed, sitting down next to her. “I’m sorry about that, Colette. That was totally my fault.”

“It’s okay. It’s a nice day for a swim anyway.” Colette was still smiling as she pulled the towel down to rest on her shoulders. “Besides, your teacher was right- it did make a ‘_boom_’ sound when it knocked me overboard!”

“That was supposed to be a joke! A joke!”

There was a pause, and the two broke into another fit of laughter. Lloyd rested his head in one hand but winced as he came into contact with his forehead again. He looked back up at Colette, realizing he hadn’t fully examined her for any sign of injury.

“Hey, Colette, are you alright? You’re not hurt, are you? Where’d it hit you?”

Colette took a moment to think it over, and finally, a smile passed over her face. She drew one hand up, placing a finger against her lips.

“If I say _here_, will you…?”

He did.


	3. Pet Parents

**“Pet Parents”  
Day 7: Free Day**

  
**Genre:** humor  
**Words: **1153

_It had barely been a month since Lloyd and Colette had moved in together, so when Raine got a suspicious invitation, she had to go give Lloyd a piece of her mind. Luckily for Lloyd, he didn’t have a clue what was going on. If he did, he would probably be insulted._

* * *

“LLOYD IRVING, WE NEED TO HAVE A TALK _RIGHT NOW_-”

It had been a quiet day up to that point, warm and sunny with just a slight breeze that made it perfect for sitting out on the porch while Lloyd worked on some of his metalworking projects. Colette had taken the dogs out for a walk, so he was by himself at the moment.

By himself, that was, until Raine showed up with a voice like a loudspeaker.

“Huh? Oh, hey Professor.” Lloyd looked up with a frown, setting aside the pliers he was holding. “Did I… do something? Because I genuinely don’t know what I’m in trouble for.”

Raine stormed up the porch, her footsteps slamming onto the stairs. She reached into her pocket, pulling out a slightly crumpled piece of paper and shoving it in Lloyd’s face.

“_What. The hell. Is this_.”

Lloyd jumped to his feet. “Oh geez, did your invitation get damaged? Don’t worry, we have some extras! I’ll get one for you-”

Raine grabbed his arm and held him back. “I don’t need another invitation. I need _answers_.”

Lloyd’s worried expression dropped, replaced with one of concern. He turned back so that he could face her, and she used the chance to grab his suspenders and pull him down so that he was on eye level with her.

“Is _this_ why Colette moved in with you?”

“What…? Why would it be? I mean, it’s better that she has more space for the dogs now, but Dad and I have been working on this addition to the house for months-”

“How many months?” Raine pressed, shoving the invitation back in his face. “This invitation doesn’t exactly say.”

“…why would it…?” Lloyd tilted his head, looking an awful lot like a confused dog himself. “Raine, are you okay? I feel like I’m missing some major part of this conversation.”

Raine sighed and let go, taking a step back. “Lloyd, I trusted you. You’ve always been a good kid. But you… you’re _still _a kid. You and Colette are too young for this kind of responsibility, and I thought you’d be smart enough to… y’know, think ahead.”

The statement gave Lloyd a chuckle. “Aw, you worry too much. Colette has taken care of lots of dogs before.”

“This isn’t the same thing!”

“It’s exactly the same thing… just smaller…”

Raine stepped away, placing a hand against her forehead. “Lloyd, Lloyd… please understand, this is because I _care _about Colette and you. I want to know that you’ll do the honorable thing, that you’re equipped to take responsibility.”

There was a moment of silence and Lloyd let out a sigh. “Heh, I guess you’ll always be our teacher, even now that we’ve graduated.”

“It’s not because I was your teacher. It’s because I’m your friend.”

“Well, whatever you are, you don’t have to worry.” Lloyd stood up straighter and tapped his chest. “We might ask some of our friends if they want to take one of the puppies when they’re old enough, but Colette and I are totally prepared to keep all of them!”

The porch went silent again and Raine stared.

“The… puppies…”

“I mean, Bella’s a small dog, so she probably won’t have that many. Presea already said she wants one, and Genis said he’d ask you about it when he gets home from his field trip later this week. Considering we still haven’t heard from Zelos and Sheena and Regal… we’re not gonna have _enough_ puppies at this rate.”

Raine was still frozen on the porch.

“…puppies…”

At that point Colette had rounded the corner on the forest path, straining to keep five different leashes in order while Noishe trotted obediently behind her. She had a big smile on her face, and her eyes lit up as she noticed Raine on the porch.

“_Raine! Hey! Did you come to RSVP for the puppy shower?_”

Raine stepped back over to the edge of the porch, and Lloyd ran around her to meet Colette and the dogs.

“Yeah, she just showed up and was really worried about Bella. Isn’t that sweet?” Lloyd scooped up one of the dogs, a particularly pudgy little black and white mutt. “Here’s the lucky little mom-to-be! She’s a dog with more dogs inside of her- like a matryoshka doll of dogs! Isn’t that amazing?”

The rest of the dogs were pulling at their leashes, panting and pawing at Lloyd, while Noishe whined and brushed against his back. Raine took a step back, leaning against the porch railing.

“I’m, uh, really happy for the two of you… and this may be the teacher in me coming back out… but can I offer some revisions to this invitation you’ve drawn up?”

Lloyd stiffened and jerked back up after setting the dog back on the ground. “Oh no! Did I misspell ‘shower’ again? I thought I fixed that on the third draft!”

“No, it’s-” Raine stopped. “-how do you…? Never mind. I’m more concerned with the fact that there’s nothing on this invitation that indicates the party is for a dog.”

“Sure there is!” Colette chimed. “That’s what the dog stationery is for. See all the little bones and collars? There’s even a picture of a dog there in the corner- doesn’t it look like Bella?”

Raine let out a long, slow sigh.

“Colette… you write _all _your letters on dog stationery.”

“So?”

Raine choked back the urge to pull her hair out.

“The problem is, someone who didn’t know you better might think you were throwing a _dog-themed_ shower rather than a shower for a _dog_.”

Lloyd frowned. “A dog-themed baby shower? For, like, a human baby? Then why would it…?” He was genuinely puzzled, but Colette caught on right away.

“You can do that?” Her eyes sparkled as she imagined what must have surely been a fantastical scenario. “Lloyd, someday when we have kids, can we have dog-themed baby showers?”

Lloyd flinched, his face turning red. “H-hey, now! I mean, we _can_, but Isn’t it a little early to be talking about that sort of thing?”

Raine sighed. At least they were all on the same page.

“I’ll offer my congratulations to you two now, but you can expect me at the party as well.” Raine folded the invitation and tucked it back safely into her pocket. “In the future, though, try to be a little more… _descriptive_ with your correspondences.”

“Glad to hear you can make it!” Colette chimed. “But, uh, what exactly do you mean by descriptive-?”

“_LLOYD IRVING_!”

Another voice joined in from the forest path, sending the dogs into an excited frenzy as they ran to greet the newcomer. Lloyd smiled and waved. “Oh, Sheena! Great to see you! Are you here to RSVP?”

“_Yeah, to RSVP for YOUR FUNERAL-_”

Raine stepped back, resigning herself to let the chaos play out.

Some students, she found, just needed to learn things the hard way.


End file.
